Kidnapped from Isolation
by Dreaming Far Away
Summary: She had lived for twenty years locked in a tower, hidden from the rest of the world. When she is kidnapped by a fearsome dragon, her life takes an unexpected twist. Enter the dragon's den at your own risk. Very few have ever made it out alive... Rapunzel inspired Hermione. Dragon Draco. Medieval time period. HGxDM. Dramione
1. Chapter 1

**Hey guys! So here's my new story. Hope you enjoy reading. Let me know what you think!**

_**~25 Years ago ~**_

_Zacharias Granger stood to the side of the crowded ballroom, wringing his hands and searching the crowd for her. She told him she would wear an emerald green gown, but he had encountered three other women in similar attire who most certainly were not his beloved._

_ He almost laughed to himself at that. His beloved. Only he would fall in love with a women from her writing alone. For almost a year Zacharias had been writing to Cecilia Abrams, getting lost in the words she wrote on paper. Her words always seemed to place a smile upon his face that would last for hours. _

_ The only reason he was conducting this masquerade ball was so that they could finally meet. Cecilia had written in a previous letter that she couldn't show her face to anyone in public. Wanting desperately to see her, he planned the ball and sent his invitation along with it. Now he waited in impatient agony to finally meet her._

"_Oh what in the world could possibly make you so nervous Zacharias" a voice whispered in his ear as an arm wrapped around his waist._

"_Oh, not now Talia. I'm looking for someone" Zacharias said in annoyance as he pushed her arms off of him._

"_Who? Is it one of your advisors? I just saw them over dancing with the ladies on the far side of the hall." Talia said while taking his hand and starting to pull him in that direction._

"_No, I'm waiting for a woman," Zacharias said with a wistful sigh, "I've been waiting for an hour now, but I don't think she's coming today. I knew I shouldn't have invited so many people! I probably scared her off. Now she'll never come."_

_Lost in his thoughts, Zacharias didn't see the black cloud that came over Talia's face. Her anger rolled off her in waves as she thought "__What other woman? No one else can have him. He's mine!"_

_Quickly masking her anger, she turned to him and said "If she doesn't come, you can always have me. You've denied me for so long, and I'm finally willing to give all of myself to you."_

_Zacharias turned towards her in shock. She was willing to give up her maidenhood to him before she married? He had carefully ignored her obvious intentions before, but he could not let this go on any longer. She was a good friend to him, but that was all she would ever be. A friend._

"_I'm sorry Talia" Zacharias said as he took her hands in his, "but I just can't see you the same way. I love you as I would a dear friend or sister, but never enough to be with you that way. I'm so very sorry, but you must move on to someone else. There are plenty of young suitors vying for your attention. It will be better this way."_

"_Right. Of course… If you will excuse me Zacharias, I have to go check on my father. In his old age, he's probably wandered off by now" Talia said in a quiet, shaky voice. Turning on her heel, she briskly walked away from him. Only when she was in an abandoned corridor did she allow her tears to fall._

* * *

_Zacharias was unsettled by how he left his best friend, but decided to wait until later to check on her. Turning back to the crowded room he continued his search. _

_After a few minutes, he heard a timid voice behind him, "Zacharias?"_

_Turning around he saw one of the most beautiful women he had ever laid eyes upon. Her luscious brown hair lay in curls down to her waist. She was dressed in an emerald green dress with long sleeves and silver embellishing, the image of beauty and grace. A silver and green mask hid her face from him, and all he wanted to do was rip it off._

"_Cecilia?" He said in an awed voice. His hand started to rise to stroke her cheek before he realized how inappropriate that would be, given the circumstances. What if it wasn't her? And even so, they were in a crowded room and had never even spoken face to face before._

_A light blush covered her cheeks as she smiled softly at him. "Yes it's me. It's so lovely to finally meet you. I had a hard time finding you in this crowd. Someone helped me find you once I grew frustrated of searching on my own. You never told me in your letters that you were a Prince."_

_A small scowl came to his face as he said "I hate being known by my title. All of the people that I talk to as Prince of the Gryffindor Kingdom only speak to me for power, money, or to increase their social standings. I liked being able to talk to you as just Zacharias. Anyway, when did you arrive? I would have thought that I would have seen you before."_

"_Oh, I came a while ago, but I didn't want to approach you when that other women in pink was talking to you. Oh, I do hope my attendance didn't cut any important conversation short. She did look rather upset as she left."_

_Thinking back, Zacharias tried to remember anyone in pink speaking with him. It took him a while to realize that it was Talia. He had been so caught up in his thoughts and worries that he hadn't even taken notice of her gown color_

"_Of course not. That was just my good friend Talia. She was going to check on her father. The poor man has lost his memory, and she was probably worried about him."_

_The music in the background changed to a beautiful melody led by his friend Joshua, who played the lute. Bowing low before Cecilia he asked "May I have this dance m'lady"_

_They danced together without a care in the world, laughing and smiling till the early hours of the morning. When Cecilia finally had to leave, she pulled Zacharias to a deserted corridor and spoke softly to him._

"_I had the most amazing time tonight Zacharias, but I'm afraid I've kept a secret from you for these long months. I had to make sure you truly liked me for me, and I just had to finally meet you."_

"_Loved my dear, not liked. I love you. I've loved you through your words and now meeting you face to face, you are more than I could ever have asked for. Whatever you have to tell me, it won't change that." Zacharias said as he gazed into her eyes._

_She unexpectedly pulled him into a hug, clinging onto him for dear life. "Oh! I feel the same way Zacharias! I've been waiting so long, and meeting you has just been everything I've ever dreamed of. But you must know the truth._

_Stepping away from him, she untied the mask behind her head. "I had to hide myself because my face is known to some who have evil intentions. I come from a family that has been both cursed and blessed with siren's blood. My great ancestor, Alexandra, was a siren who saved a man from his death when her sisters sang to his unsuspecting crew. She felt a calling towards him, and knew that he was her one true love. Alexandra knew her love could not live on the island with her family, so she swam her beloved to shore and changed into a pure human form. They lived together on the land for years and had many children. One day, her singing led a lecherous man to her while she was in the forest picking berries. As a human, she lured others in with her song, but it was not as strong as when she was in her siren form. The man had heard of the sirens and, thinking she was dangerous, killed her in the woods. He took her body back to a wizard for money. Ever since, my family has been persecuted, as they could only produce female children with the same siren's blood. The blood of a siren is stronger than that of a human, so all of Alexandria's descendants have the same potency of their blood. For generations they have been hunted. To protect them, they were sent far away and only communicated through letters, as I have with you. When the time came, they lived with their beloved in seclusion to protect their family. We all have the same distinctive birthmark behind our ear of a crashing ship to remind us of our ancestry."_

_Zacharias understood what she had said but he did not care. He loved her with all his heart, and would never let her go._

"_I'll protect you my dear. My heart was taken in by your words and I will never let you go."_

* * *

_**~20 years ago~**_

_Years had passed and Zacharias had finally married Cecilia. After months of letters, he had finally found out the location of her home. He courted her for years before she had finally said she wanted to spend the rest of her life with him. Zacharias proposed to her the very next day. They had a small wedding at her home with their families only, something that baffled his family. In the words of his mother it "simply wasn't done. A royal wedding cannot occur without any of the esteemed people of the other kingdoms in attendance". When he gave them the options of either not attending the wedding or coming by themselves, they finally relented. He only invited his parents, seven brothers and sisters, and his friends Joshua and Talia. He was love struck and constantly missed the glares pointed at him and his fiancé by one angry bridesmaid. They were happily married and moved into a little cottage next to Cecilia's parents soon after._

_A year later they had a beautiful daughter. Little Hermione Granger was born with big, curious brown eyes and curly brown hair. She had her mother's nose, mouth, and of course, birthmark. She also seemed to have developed her father's signature scowl whenever she didn't get what she wanted, which amused Zacharias greatly._

_All was well until around Hermione's first birthday, when a group of men on horseback came riding through the village. They demanded to be given the sirens or they would burn the village to the ground._

_Quickly escaping on horseback while the commotion was still happening in the main part of the village, Zacharias took his family back to his kingdom. Knowing they could have very little time, he looked for anyone he could trust. Seeing Talia walking down the secluded pathway, he called to her._

"_Talia please. Take Hermione to the house across the river. We've filled it with all the things she will need to grow and learn. We are being followed by hunters. Take her and keep her safe. We will meet you at the cottage when we aren't being hunted. If we don't make it back, tell her of her siren's blood when she gets older. Please, for me Talia, take care of her." Zacharias said with tears in his eyes. He quickly sped away from the castle, leaving a shocked Talia in his place._

_Looking down at the baby crying in her arms, a wicked smile stretched across her face. She would have her revenge. The little girl should have been hers, and now she was. She may not have Zacharias' love, but she would have his child._

_ Briskly walking through the crowds, Talia ignored anyone who tried to talk to her. When she came towards the river on the far side of the kingdom, she found the cottage he spoke of. Stepping inside, Talia saw hundreds of books lying on the shelves of his walls. There was a beautifully crafted crib in pink and ivory sitting in the corner, along with a chest filled with dresses. _

_ Talia placed the baby in the crib to allow herself space to think. Pacing back and forth across the floor of the cottage, her anger increased in intensity. Who did he think he was? For years after meeting that little wench, he had barely even spoken to her. And now? Now, he hands her Hermione, a baby that should have been hers, and goes into hiding. Did he think she was going to wait for him to come back? Just to be thrown aside as soon as he gets his daughter back? She wouldn't stick around to find out._

_ Talia thought of just leaving the cottage, but Zacharias might have thought that someone had stopped her from reaching it in time. She wanted him to know, to feel the pain she felt every day. She would use her powers. She was a witch and had powers just like Zacharias. It was why they were so close, they learned to control their magic from the same master. Talia had used her magic abilities months ago to keep herself safe. She also used it to stop the pain. Anger and jealousy was all Talia could feel anymore, no pain._

_ Using her wand, she shrunk all of the belongings that were meant for Hermione so that they fit in the palm of her hand. As she walked outside, she placed the pieces in a pouch on the side of her dress. On the door she wrote in gold shimmering letters that could never be removed:_

"_You could have loved me Zacharias, but you settled for that bitch. Now I will keep what should have been mine. Forever."_

* * *

_Talia fled to the Slytherin Kingdom, a place that had been in constant rivalry with the Gryffindors. Deep in the forest on the edge of the lands, Talia found a clearing that would be the perfect spot for her. It was surrounded by large trees that made a canopy over the clearing. Gently setting the wailing baby on the grass nearby, she made a large tower in the center of the clearing. The gray-green stones blended in with the surroundings making it unnoticeable unless someone was very close by._

"_Come my dear. I'll keep you locked up here, where you will be safe. You cannot break your heart if you don't have anyone to give it to," Talia said as she kissed her newfound daughter on the forehead. And so, Hermione's life in isolation began._

**Hey guys! So this is just the back story to Hermione's life. Hope you liked it! More to come soon.**

**Love,**

**~Dreaming~**


	2. Chapter 2:All the Pretty Little Horses

**Thanks for taking the time to read my story. I own nothing. Enjoy!**

As time went on, Hermione grew into a beautiful, intelligent woman. When she was young, she spent most of her time with her mother. Talia pampered her with love and affection. Every night before going to bed, Talia would read young Hermione a story while conjuring up floating images to go along with it. Hermione dreamed of having magic just like her mother's when she grew up.

Young Hermione felt her mother's love constantly. She laughed, played, and learned so much through the books and stories. One day, when she was a mere seven years of age, all the love was lost. It all started with a simple, innocent conversation.

"_Mommy? Where is my daddy? All of these characters have both a mommy and a daddy. Why do I only have you?" _she asked just as her mother finished the story with a picture of the family's happy ending. The image immediately fell and a mask of fury fell onto her mother's face.

"_Am I not good enough for you? You ungrateful little child! You only have me because I thought you would love me the way I needed to be loved. You are just like your bastard of a father. Don't you ever ask about him ever again." Talia said as she strode towards the window. "If you will not love me, fine, just don't expect anything in return."_

A painfully consistent and lonely routine followed her rage. All the love she felt before was taken away in an instant, leaving her with a cold state of loneliness and sadness. Once in seven days, her mother would come and visit Hermione on her magic broom. The one opening in the tower was high above the ground, and the broom was the only way Hermione knew of to leave the tower. The opening was too high above the ground to try to climb down. She had to wait in fearful anticipation for her mother every week. A hateful glare, one basket of food, hurtful words, and a book was all she ever received. She had pleaded at every visit for an entire year, simply requesting new books; as she had read every book on the bookshelf numerous times. Finally her mother had caved, screaming "fine you worthless bitch, just stop nagging me!"

She kept marks on the walls to remember the days. She had started on her eighth birthday, after she had read there were 365 days in one year. Her mother had forgotten to remove the spell that wished her happy birthday, so every year it sang her a beautiful song. Her mother was there, unfortunately, when the spell went off for her twentieth birthday.

"That's right. Your birthday. I can't believe I forgot… to remove this horrible spell. No one needs to be reminded of the day you came in and ruined my life." Talia said as she mounted the broom and flew away.

"Happy Birthday to me." Hermione sang in a broken whisper. All along her window birds flew in and twittered with her. At least the animals cared for her. It brought a smile to her face even as the tears slowly fell.

* * *

One day, months after her twentieth birthday, Hermione sat on her bed wondering what her prince charming would be like. Her mother had just given her another book. It ended with the hero saving the princess by slaying the fearsome dragon.

'My prince charming wouldn't need to save me. We would be equals. He would love books just as much as I do. He would travel to wondrous places, always taking me with him. We would go on adventures together and he would never leave me. He would be fiercely protective and kind hearted. He would love me and only me, and he would be devilishly handsome. If only such a man would come visit me in my isolation.' Hermione thought with a wistful sigh. She was walking towards the opening to gaze outside, when she tripped on a loose floorboard, crashing into her beloved bookcase. Mountains of paper swirled around her as hundreds of books fell around her head. With a sigh she carefully picked up each book and placed it back on the shelf.

One book glowed as soon as her fingers touched it. Reaching down, she opened the brown leather journal to the first page.

_'To out darling angel on her eighteenth birthday. No harm will come to you as long as we are together. Embrace the power of your voice and sing with all your heart. Do not be afraid to shine darling. We love you._

_Love,_

_Mummy and Daddy_

Tears came to her eyes. Love. Love was something she had been missing for years. And what about her dad? Her dad was never mentioned, apart from the one time she had misspoken. Carefully climbing out of the window of the tower, she scaled the aged bricks to the top of the tower. Her favorite reading spot was on the top of the tower, only a few stones away from the windows ledge. It was very easy for her to climb up to the top, but she only went up on days that she knew her mother would not be home. It was her sanctuary.

Once she was settled she began to read, eager to find out more about her father. She learned about her parents' history, though her mother sounded much different in the book. Her mother had straight, blond hair, but her father described her mother as a goddess with curly brown hair in the journal. It confused her greatly, but their story of romance warmed her heart. He father's words captivated her. She wished she could meet him; he sounded wonderful.

On the very last page, the words were written in a different style. It was the same script as the very first note in the book.

_My darling daughter,_

_You will never know how happy I am to see your beautiful face every morning. I love how you make the same expression as your father when you are thinking too hard. I love how curious you're little brown eyes are when you look at me. I love how your tiny fingers are wrapped tightly around my finger as I write this note to you for your future needs. I write down these words so that you will remember the first song I ever sang to you and feel its power. I will always be with you, and I want you to cherish the power of your voice. Don't hide it my darling, embrace it. My little Hermione Granger, I hope you grow up strong and always feel the love I give to you in this lullaby. I hope you remember me singing your lullaby to you, and know that I love you with all my heart._

_Love you always,_

_Mummy_

**_Hush-a-bye, don't you cry, go to sleep you little baby.  
When you wake you shall have all the pretty little horses.  
Dapples and greys, pintos and bays, all the pretty little horses._**

**_Way down yonder, in the meadow,_**  
**_Poor little baby cryin, "mama";_**  
**_Birds and the butterflies flutter round his eyes,_**  
**_Poor little baby cryin' "mama"._**

**_Hush-a-bye, don't you cry, go to sleep you little baby._**  
**_When you wake you shall have all the pretty little horses._**  
**_Dapples and greys, pintos and bays, all the pretty little horses._**

* * *

Draco flew high above the ground, soaring above the abandoned forest on the edge of the Slytherin Kingdom. He scoffed at the thought of his 'home', he would never be returning to it. He knew his parents accepted his curse and still loved him, but he could never go back. Who would want a leader who couldn't stay human for more than a day? Draco was in the process of following in his father father's footsteps on his destiny to rule the Kingdom, when he met Pansy. Pansy Parkinson was his betrothed from birth, but he only met her on his eighteenth birthday. She was a nice enough girl, but he was always opposed to marrying without love. He constantly rejected her until one day she snapped. She cursed him to live a torturously lonely life. By turning him into a Dragon, taking away any chance he had at a normal life. He could still remember their parting words.

"No one but me would love such a monster. Now you'll have to love me Draco," Pansy said with a sinister grin. She had ran towards him, but in his dragon form, he had leapt into the night sky and flew away.

Five years later, Draco had adapted to a life of solitude. A few days the curse was placed upon him, he found that if he focused hard in his mind, he could turn back into human form. Sadly, it only lasted a day. Making a home in an isolated cave near the top of the mountain, Draco had spent his years killing as a dragon and eating as a human. He missed the luxury items of his previous lifestyle, and longed for knife to cut his meat. After a year, he found he could scare others away from him in order to steal necessities for his life.

He had tried for a year to find a witch or wizard to reverse the curse, but no one had even heard of it. Thinking it was a Parkinson secret, he had tried to find her. He searched the outskirts of the kingdom all day in his human form while wearing a hooded cloak. Not even noticing when his skin started to scale over, Draco continued in his search around the marketplace. When the sun had finally set in the sky, his cloak ripped and his body elongated, distorting his human form. Screams rang out from the people around him as they started to run. Frustrated and Hurt, Draco took some of the food and then burned the marketplace to the ground. Hot tears streamed unnoticed from his eyes, as he flew away from the terrorized screams and flames. That was the last time he tried to be discreet. He stopped caring for others, and took what he needed through the use of fear. Their screams had hardened his heart, locking his feelings deep within him.

He started to hoard anything he thought could brighten his day. After five years, he seemed to have anything a man could ever want. He was even richer than his father, but he was becoming increasingly unhappy. Celebrating his twenty fifth birthday on his own, Draco flew out of his cave. He spotted a man riding his horse, and perched on a strong tree nearby to try and get a better look at him. Who would willingly be in such a dangerous and isolated area?

"Do you smell that Ron? It's the smell of adventure, the smell of excitement. We must be getting close to the Dragon's lair. The townspeople said they've seen him flying around here. Once we've slayed him, I'm positive Ginevra will accept my wish to court her. She won't be able to resist such a hero as I will soon be" the knight said to his horse. The knight had black shaggy hair and an annoying voice in Draco's opinion. His horse wasn't much better; it looked like it was struggling to walk with the weight of the knight. The pair looked absolutely pathetic.

"This is my adversary? He looks too incompetent to even wield a sword. The great 'hero' didn't even notice me up here" Draco thought. He was about to swoop in and end his pathetic life when he heard a faint melody off in the distance. It was the most beautiful sound he had ever heard. He was compelled to follow it, feeling like he was being pulled by an invisible force. Preparing to follow it, he remembered the knight below him. Draco felt an overwhelming sense of possessiveness take over him. If he left this man here, he might also follow the lovely melody! Anger washed his vision in red as he descended upon the knight, slashing through his armor in one swoop. There was blood gushing from where his claws dug into the knight's skin, but he had to make sure he died. Encasing both the knight and the horse in flames, he left to follow the beautiful sound, unaffected by the pain filled screams behind him.

* * *

Tracing over the words of the song it brought Hermione back to a memory of a woman rocking her and singing. Granger. She was Hermione Granger. She loved knowing her full name. It made no sense though; the woman from the journal seemed nothing like her mother! She ignored the analysis from her brain and let the memory wash over her. The memory held so much love, and the voice sounded so familiar in her mind. She sang the lullaby aloud in a strong voice; it filled her with an unknown strength and power. She rose to her feet to stand on the edge of the tower, stretching out her arms and letting the power flow through her. Closing her eyes she finished the melody from memory feeling like the woman was singing right beside her.

She opened her eyes to a shocking sight. It wasn't the sight of hundreds of woodland animals huddled around the floor of her tower and the trees surrounding it that stunned her. No, it was the majestic creature flying right in front of her tower that had her frozen on the spot. She had never seen a creature so powerful, and strong but yet… beautiful. A dragon, unlike any she had ever read about. The dragon's body was a silver array of scales shining in the dying rays of the sun. Its eyes were a swirling storm of gray, blue and silver; its undeniable force called to her. The eyes captivated her, and she felt the storm within them had struck her with bolts of electricity. She was not afraid of the creature, just awe stuck. Reaching out to the creature, she tried to move forward, forgetting that she was already on the edge.

As her foot slipped, a scream tore past her lips. She closed her eyes in anticipation of her certain death, but it never came. The dragon had swooped down and caught her mid fall. She lay now in the middle of his clawed paw. He was cradling his paw close to his body as he flew away, and she knew deep in her soul she was not truly in danger. She felt safe in the warmth of the dragon's paw.

As they flew away, she slowly began to drift into a peaceful sleep. In her drowsy state, she chuckled to herself. Her savior was the Dragon, not the fearless knight. A beautiful and majestic creature had stolen her from her isolation, not a prince charming. Either way, the feeling of freedom was wonderful. She just wished she could stay awake long enough to enjoy the journey.

* * *

Zacharias was tending to the horses outside when he heard his beloved scream and drop the vase she had been holding. He ran into their home, wondering what could possibly be wrong with her. Yes she was a little more melancholy than normal, singing the special lullaby he hadn't since… since the attack. He has kept near Cecilia, but other than the song nothing was out of the ordinary. When he ran in he saw Cecilia with shards all around the floor and with tears streaming down her face. The strangest part was the joyous smile that stretched across her face.

"Oh Zacharias!" Cecilia said as she ran to him, unaware of the sharp stabs of pain in her feet "She's alive Zacharias! Our Baby's alive!"

He stood frozen on the spot, even as his beloved embraced him, he was too shocked. His baby? His darling girl who had been stolen from him a year into her gorgeous life? He had mourned her death for years.

"Darling are you sure? I could not take the pain of such hope if it's in vain" Zacharias said as he kissed her forehead and gently wiped her tears.

"I am certain Zacharias. She just sang the song I wrote in the book that was meant for her eighteenth birthday. When her eighteenth birthday had passed, I thought all hope was lost, but her voice just compelled me to sing with her. I felt her power my love, it will be dangerous if someone finds her. We have to find her," Cecilia said.

My little girl was alive, and I would find her. Even if I had to start a war, my baby would be found. Of that I was certain.

**Thanks for reading. I'm sorry it's been such a long time, but I would just like to thank anyone who's reading. Please Review. I hope I'll be back much sooner next time.**

**Love,**

**~Dreaming~**

**P.S. I had to use this lullaby as it was one of my favorites as a child. The song is "All the Pretty Little Horses" and I imagined Hermione's singing to be similar to Becky Jean Williams' version.**


	3. Chapter 3: Comforts, Emotions,& Treasure

**Hey everyone! Here's the next chapter! Thanks for reading and reviewing. Enjoy!**

**_Hermione POV:_**

As she slowly gained consciousness she was aware of a peculiar warmth fanning across her feet and lower legs. She felt warm and safe as she nuzzled deeply into the comfortable object behind her head. Was it a pillow? She thought of the princess in a book she had read previously who spent her nights in a gigantic bed with many pillows, cocooning herself in comfort. Hermione couldn't remember feeling this relaxed or comfortable, for she had slept on a thin pile of hay with a blanket over it every day since she was little. Now, she felt just like the princess in the story.

Slowly turning she felt the pillow continue down her right hand side. As she tried to return to her dreams, she reached around to hug the pillow, only to jump back in shock and pain. Her eyes flew open and she came face to face with something silver with large dark grey spikes. Quickly rolling onto her back, Hermione's breath caught in her throat as she took in her surroundings.

She was surrounded by a body, encased in a sea of silver scales. The scales seemed to be reflecting the soft torchlight that lit the room that she was in. There was one larger source of light a distance away from her, but she barely noticed. The being before her was overwhelming in its silent strength, commanding her attention. She craned her neck to take in all of the majestic being in front of her. From the tip of the tail to the frighteningly large wings, Hermione was surprised that such a ferocious looking creature could be so comfortable. True, she had been sleeping on the cozy underside of the creature, away from the fearsome spikes. Scales most certainly should not have felt as pleasant as they had. Her musings were stopped when she felt the creature's chest rise and fall, causing the warm feeling to fan out across her feet again. Her eyes snapped to the head of the creature, seeing the familiar face of the dragon.

Her memories from the day before quickly rushed back to her. What kind of a freak was she? She had seen hundreds if not thousands of animals, including the dragon, outside her window as she sang. She had never had any powers like her mother, so how could she have caused such a strange event to occur? It must have had to do with the book she read. It had brought her this beautiful dragon who had saved her from her lonely isolation. Her own personal angel, dangerous and deadly as it may be. He had saved her, if only for a brief moment in time. She was free.

She studied its face with immense curiosity. Its face was angular but not harsh. There were dark grey horns and sharp spikes on its head, but the dragon seemed almost peaceful in its slumber. Its face itself was free of any spikes or horns, though it was still angular. She noticed a strip of lighter silver scales starting from the beginning of the dragon's neck and continuing down the dragon's body. The lighter silver was mostly concentrated near the dragon's belly, tapering off near the head and tail. The dragon was so fiercely beautiful that she had to restrain herself from trying to stroke its face. She wished more than anything to see the dragon's eyes, but her subconscious told her that waking the sleepingdragon was not a very wise idea. Slowly, she tried to pull her feet away from the repeated bursts of hot air that came from the dragon's nostrils so that she could try to fall back asleep. She tried to be very careful, but as soon as she had pulled her legs away, the dragons head raised and its eyes snapped open.

Swirls of silver blue and dark grey met her own chocolate brown gaze. She watched in fearful curiosity as alertness quickly flickered through the dragon's eyes and confusion, anger, curiosity, realization and finally frustration soon followed. The dragon seemed to open and close its mouth many times, similar to how Hermione would when she was at a loss for words. In the end, the dragon let out a long puff of smoke as if frustrated. Before she could stop herself, fits of giggles slowly escaped her mouth. Slowly Hermione's chuckles grew to a full bellied laugh; she just couldn't help herself! Honestly, the absurdity of her mind. She actually thought a dragon was for a loss for words! She had certainly read too many fictional stories in her alone time.

As she slowly composed herself, she gazed back at the dragon with slight apprehension. It was a dragon for god's sake, surely it was just waiting for its next meal: herself. However, when she looked back towards the dragon, she saw that its head was cocked to the side with an expression of playful curiosity on its face. Goodness gracious she was going insane. She was trying to place the feelings and emotions of a fearless dragon.

She tried to stand so that she could check for any escape routes, but the dragon tightened its tail around her, preventing her escape. Trying to prolong her seemingly inevitable death, she tried to distract the dragon. The dragon had freed her from her dreadful tower, and she wished to have a few hours to enjoy that freedom.

Looking straight into the dragon's eyes, she straightened her posture and spoke in a confident voice to her savior soon to be killer.

"Hello dragon. I'd just like to thank you for freeing me from my dreadful existence in that tower, where my heartless mother was my only companion. I appreciated your quick actions as well when you saved me from falling to my death at the bottom of my tower. I would be forever indebted to you if you could continue to show your acts of great kindness towards me by not eating me for your next meal. I can make a lovely companion if you need someone to keep your company. Oh who am I kidding, you can't even understand a word that I'm saying. You're just going to eat me anyway. Well, go on then. Get on with it." Hermione said.

And then, the strangest thing happened. The dragon threw back his head and puffed smoke out of its nose in brief puffs. A corner of its mouth seemed to pull up at the sides. If she didn't know any better, she'd say it was _laughing._

* * *

**_Draco POV:_**

Draco couldn't remember a time where he had laughed so freely. He couldn't help it; her rambling was by far one of the most adorable things he had ever heard. She convinced herself that just because he 'couldn't understand her' that she should suddenly accept her death? Even telling him to hurry it along? It felt wonderful to have someone talk to him, anf it was even better that she could make him laugh.

It had taken him a while to remember what had happened. She was one of the most beautiful women that he had ever seen in his entire life. He had flickered through many emotions upon seeing her; she was an intruder, a beautiful, intriguing, and now, apparently, bold intruder. Draco had felt extreme anger at her intrusion into his home before he had remembered how she had captivated him the previous night. Her voice had opened her soul to him; her song seemed to permanently attach itself to his innermost heart, weaving a melody around the broken pieces. It had broken the cage he held around his emotions, and it felt so good to be free. Free to feel more than just careful indifference. Draco always sought to hoard anything that would bring brightness to his day, and she embodied anything and everything he could ever need. She was what he had been searching for all these years.

He had tried many times to start conversation with her, but just couldn't find the right words. When he had finally settled on the right words, he opened his mouth, only to shut it quickly and huff in frustration. Of course, he couldn't talk in his dragon state. He was pulled from his frustrated musings when a genuine laugh came from his beauty. Not the polite chuckle he had experienced while in the pristine walls of the palace or a flirtatious giggle like Pansy used to fake whenever she was around him. No, this laugh was real. It was barely contained laughter that came straight from the belly only when someone found something truly hilarious. It was mesmerizing.

After her little rant and boisterous laugh, he decided that he would show her around his home. He liked her very much, and he wanted her to stay with him for as long as possible. It was foreign to him, the desire to share his life with someone else. He had been alone for so long.

Uncurling from his position around her, he rose to his full height. He saw the fear flash in her eyes, realizing that his stance could be very intimidating. Knowing there was a high chance he would regret his actions, he quickly spread his wings and flew out of the small opening at the top of his cave.

He flew for a few minutes until he found his secret spot under a giant tree. Over the years he had grown to calling it The Grandfather Tree. In its silence, it had given Draco the power to think rationally through his anger. The pain of solitude had been lessened by endless days spent under the calming branches. The Grandfather Tree was his place of refuge, and the guidance it gave through its silent wisdom always helped Draco to be at peace with himself.

He sat under the tree for a few minutes, watching the sun's rays flitter through the numerous leaves of the beautiful tree, like the millions of twinkling stars in the night sky. He silently told The Grandfather Tree the events of the past few days, wishing in his mind for the ability to adapt to human interactions for the first time in years. He wished the girl who had stolen his heart would come to accept his curse. When he had finished he carefully places his paw against the heart of The Grandfather Tree and uttered a small 'thank you'. He slowly picked up some human clothes from a chest hidden in the area created between the tree's large roots before ascending into the beautiful morning sky.

When reached his cave, he sat on top of the mouth of the entrance, with his claws clutching the sides of the gaping hole. Focusing his mind on the task ahead, he carefully remembered every detail of his human form. He had learned from many unsuccessful tries that, if he did not focus hard enough, something would be missing. Many times he had lost his toes or fingers or hair in the transformation. In some extreme cases he forgot to remember arms or legs, but only when he was truly distracted. The problem was, there was no turning back once he started. If he missed any detail in his transformation, Draco was stuck that way for the entire day.

Once he was satisfied with his transformation, he opened his eyes. He quickly slipped on the clothing and took a deep breath. This was it. Time for the introductions.

'_She is very pretty. Try not to embarrass yourself too much Draco.' _his inner voice teased him. He knew he was going to fail miserably at conversation, but come on! Even his mind was doubting him and teasing him.

He shook his head, closed his eyes, and jumped over the edge, hoping that the adrenaline rush from the fall would help him through his nerves.

* * *

**_Hermione POV:_**

It just… left. One minute the dragon was seemingly laughing at her, and the next it was gone. The dragon had looked right into her eyes before leaving, and she felt a spark of nervous curiosity. She suddenly wanted to know everything about the dragon. Its eyes held great wisdom and sadness in its swirling depths beneath the mirth she had seen moments ago. Before she could get herself into any more trouble, it had flown away. It rose to a very intimidating height before taking off through a hole at the top of the room she was in, and she was slightly afraid of its power.

As she was gazing at the dragon's exit point, the daylight streaming in from the hole at the top of the cave caused something to glitter from the corner of her eye. Looking down she shocked by the sight before her. Piles upon piles of gold, jewelry, and valuable items lay in every direction around her. She seemed to be standing in the only area that was free from any riches, a circle of space large enough to accommodate the dragon's size. Ancient scrolls and books lay in a heaping pile to her left, and she ached to unravel their secrets. She had to practice great restraint to keep her needy brain from searching for new information; she didn't know when the dragon would be back. Trying to keep her mind off of the books and scrolls, she carefully circled the area she was standing in, to look at the other treasures.

She spent a long period of time looking over the nearby items, being careful not to touch any of them. She felt it would be a terrible idea to actually touch any of the dragon's belongings. It seemed like there was almost a silent warning over the items. When she had come back to her starting point, she lifted her gaze to those treasures beyond her circle. The treasure seemed endless; it reached to the very walls of the cave. The walls were far from her; she could only tell that they were even there by the torches hanging from the walls. She wished to go exploring. A familiar feeling washed over her, the feeling of freedom just beyond reach. The excitement was right there, just out of her grasp.

Hermione was startled out of her musings by a large crash near the area with the strongest beams of light. Peering over at the source of the noise, she was shocked to see a man brushing coins and jewels off of his clothing. He was dressed in a loose white shirt with a black vest over it, and black pants. He was more handsome than any man she had ever dreamed of in her stories . He had strong facial features, and he was much taller than she was. What surprised her the most were his eyes. They swirled with color almost exactly like the dragon's.

His shy, deep voice spoke to her, halting all other thoughts from her mind.

"Right. Erm…Sorry about that... Good morrow my lady, my name is Draco. Draco Malfoy."

**Sorry for cutting off, but it's going to have to stop there. I leave for my vacation tomorrow. Thank you all for taking the time to read my story! I really appreciate everyone who has reviewed. I'm starting on the next chapter, and I'll try to post it as soon as I get back from my vacation. Oh and the next chapter for my other story should be up around the same time. Thanks and please review!**

**Love,**

**~Dreaming~**


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